I just realized I had better start duathlon training.

You know that feeling when you're looking ahead on your calendar and you realize you have a half duathlon (10k/56mi/10k) on June 9th and you realize it's already April?  That feeling of sheer panic when you realize you need to be able to bike 56 miles and not die in about 2 months?

Yeah.  That feeling made me get my butt on my bike and ride around outside for 15 miles in the windy cold this afternoon.

I think the cars might be jealous of my ride.

Well, it wasn't super cold outside, but there were some serious winds that made the first half of the ride really, really suck.  It also kind of sucked because it's been the first time I've done an outdoor ride since the late summer, and the first 5 miles were just my legs going "whoa....whoa...what are we doing...we're not used to this....we're just going to go slow until we get used to this again."  And slow is how we went until we were about 8 miles in, when I finally had the wind at my back and could cruise all the way home.

So...not my best bike ride ever (16.2 mph average?!?!).  But when you haven't been on the bike since August, I guess I'll take it as a starting point for improvement.  In fact, during the ride I was thinking of all of the things I need to do to improve in order to survive 56 miles on the bike (only to get off and run a 10k....argh).  Here are some of those thoughts roaming through my mind during the ride:

• To stop your toes from becoming two blocks of ice because you chose to ride into cold early spring winds for 8 miles, invest in bike shoe covers.  This will prevent you from standing in the shower after the ride blasting your toes with the hottest water you can tolerate just to feel something, ANYTHING in them again.
• Don't stupidly think you can bust out 15 miles after not riding outside for so long.
• Buy more than one long-sleeved bike jersey or it's going to be lots of really cold morning rides for you.
• Work on distance, then speed-stop trying to push big gears right out of the gate.
• Remember: unclip FIRST, and get off bike SECOND.
• Don't think about the fact that you have to be able to ride forty-one more freaking miles by June 9th.  Just get the miles in.
• Work on getting on and off the bike without looking like an old lady worried she will fall and break her hip.
• Also remember: when stopping at an intersection, unclip FIRST, then put foot on the ground.
• I told you - stop thinking about those 41 more miles.  You're just freaking yourself out for nothing.
• Learn how to grease the bike chain without getting bike grease all over your hands. 
• Your quads are big whiners.  Ignore them.
• And a final remember:

A post shared by Club Of “Runners”🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️ (@craptrunners) on Mar 29, 2018 at 5:47pm PDT

Some bike riding learnings for you today:

• While riding into the wind for the first half of the run was sheer torture, the back half was a joy.  It reminded me why I enjoy biking so much.
• This ride also reminded me that biking outside is still one heck of a workout.
• Am I still going to freak out about those 41 more miles?  Yes, until I do at least a 30 mile ride.
• Does anyone else have whiny quads, or is it just me?
• And because I have yet to post a picture of one of my animals giving his opinion of this post, I shall do it now:

POST SO BORING

Tomorrow's workout: Total body weights.  The usual Friday torture.